Animated toy

ABSTRACT

An animated toy in the form of a doll having an elongated body portion and supporting arm portions and leg portions connected to the body portion so that the ends of the arm and leg portions may be positioned on a supporting surface and maintain the body portion in an elevated forwardly-downwardly inclined position. A fluent granular material is disposed within an interior compartment inside the body portion of the doll whereby the granular material flows forwardly to shift the center of gravity of the doll forwardly. The granular material flows relatively slowly past a baffle plate to cause the doll to slowly tumble over in a generally forward direction, under gravity.

United States Patent 1191 Morrison et a1.

[ 1 ANIMATED TOY [75] Inventors: Howard .LMorrison, Deerlield; Marvin I. Glass, Chicago, both of I 111. [73] Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates,

Chicago, Ill. 7 1 [22] Filed: Dec.'21, 1972" [21 Appl. No.-: 317,278.

[52] U.S. C1 Y 46/41, 46/134 [51] Int. Cl A63h 11/08 [58] Field of Search........ 46/41, 134','119 130, 123

[56] References Cited 7 A UNITED STATES PATENTS 335,538 2/1886 Ritchel. 46/130 754,709 3/1904 Scaddingu 1,518,144 12/1924'. Huggins... I 1,564,785 12/1925 Harris Short et a1. 46/41 X Aug. 13, 1974 2,585,780 2/1952 Johnson 46/134 3,757,460 9/1973 Morrison 461/41 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Coffee & Sweeney [5 7] ABSTRACT An animated toy in the form of a doll having an elon gated body portion and supporting arm portions and leg portions connected to the body portion so that the ends of the arm and leg portions may be positioned on a supporting surface and maintain the body portion in 2 Claims, 5 Drawing [figures PAIENIEB mu: 31974 Sum 1 mV 2 & O i

ANIMATED TOY This invention relates to an animated toy, such as a doll or the like, which has relatively movable parts.

Most animated dolls have body or torso portions with legs and/or arms pivoted to the body for movement in response to various types of devices. In most instances, the appendages of the dolls are provided with relative movement by means of mechanized apparatus mounted on or inside of the doll, particularly within the dolls body portion. Not only are such mechanized devices relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble, but they oftentimes are unreliable, short-lived and difficult to repair. This invention is directed to providing a new and improved animated toy having relative movable body parts, which movement is effected by weight means under the influence of gravity.

The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a new and improved animated toy, such as a doll or the like, of the character described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the doll has a body portion on which is mounted a generally hollow head portion and to which is pivotally mounted a pair of leg portions and a pair of arm portions. The body of the doll has an interior compartment in communication with the hollow head portion of the doll. Weight means in the form of a fluent, preferably granular material, is disposed within the interior body compartment of the doll and is capable of flowing between the interior body compartment and the hollow head of the doll. The arm and leg portions of the doll are sufficiently rigid to support the body portion of the doll in an elevated position, with the ends of the arm and leg portions placed on a supporting surface such as a floor or the like. The arm portions of the doll are shorter in length than the leg portions so that the body portion and its interior compartment are inclined downwardly and forwardly when the body portion is in its elevated supported position. A baffle plate is mounted between the interior body compartment and the hollow head portion of the doll so as to inhibit and thereby slow the flow of the fluent material from the body compartment to the head portion.

In this manner, as the fluent granular material gradually flows past the baffle plate from the interior body compartment to the hollow head portion of the doll, the center of gravity of the doll gradually shifts forwardly, raising the leg portions of the doll, pivoting the body portion of the doll about the arm portions to a generally upsidedown disposition and causing the doll to tumble over in a generally forward direction.

The baffle plate between the interior body compartment of the doll and the hollow head portion is hinged to provide check valve means which permit substantially unrestricted flow of the fluent material back from the hollow head portion of the doll to the interior body compartment of the doll so that the doll again may be positioned with its arm and leg portions on the floor and thereby initiate another forward tumbling action.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the distance between the top of the dolls hollow head portion and the pivot connection between the arm portions and the body portion is longer than the arm portions themselves so that the doll actually tumbles forwardly onto the dolls head portion, slightly lifting the arm portions off of the supporting surface, as the doll tumbles over.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1(a) through (f) show progressive sequential positions of the animated doll of the present invention during its forward tumbling motion;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section, partially broken away, through the doll of the present invention when in an erect position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the body and head portions, and part of onearm portion, of the doll when in its initial position of actuation with the arm and leg portions of the doll supporting the body and head portions of the doll in elevated inclined position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the interior body compartment and arm supports of the doll;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken generally along the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the hand defining components of the doll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the animated toy of the present invention is shaped in the form of a baby doll, generally designated 10, having a body portion, generally designated 12, a head portion, generally designated 14, two leg portions, generally designated l6, and two arm portions, generally designated 18.

The head portion 14 of the doll includes a hollow generally rigid shell 20 having a neck portion 22 which terminates in an interior outwardly protruding flange 24. The sides, top and back of the shell 20 may be covered with a hood 26 or other appropriate garment for aesthetic purposes. For purposes to be described hereinafter, a boss 28 is formed integral with the shell 20 and protrudes from the top of the shell beneath the hood 26.

The body portion 12 of the doll is formed by a mass 30 of self-supporting material such as foam rubber, or the like, which is enclosed within an outer flexible covering 32 simulating a garment for the doll. The covering 32 has a collar portion 34 which is wrapped about the neck portion 22 of the head shell 20. The collar portion 34 may be held in place above the flange 24 of the head shell by means of appropriate stitching, elastic, or the like. The base of the hood 26 may be sandwiched between the neck portion 22 and the collar portion 34.

Disposed within the body forming mass 30 is a boxlike interior compartment 36 which is generally rigid and which is adapted to receive or contain a fluent material 38. Preferably, the fluent material 38 is granular in nature, such as sand or the like. The box-like compartment 36 has a reduced cross-sectional portion 36a (as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5) in communication with the interior of the hollow shell 20 of the dolls head. A baffle-valve means, generally designated 40, is provided in the reduced cross-sectional portion 36a of the interior compartment 36. As shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, the baffle-valve means takes the form of a plate 42 which is hinged along one edge 44 thereof by appropriate hinge means or by simply forming the plate of plastic and having a thin flexible edge portion 44 secured to the inside of the reduced cross sectional portion 36a of the interior compartment 36.

The plate 42 serves the dual function of providing a baffle means to inhibit and thereby slow the flow of granular fluent material 38 from the interior body compartment 36 toward the hollow head shell 20, as well as providing a check valve to permit substantially unrestricted flow of the fluent material back from the hollow head shell into the interior body compartment 36, for purposes to be described in greater detail hereinafter. Regarding the baffle function, the plate has a generally centrally disposed metering orifice 46 through which the fluent material may pass. In addition, the sides 48 of the baffle plate 42 may be spaced from the adjacent side walls 49 of the reduced cross sectional portion 36a of the interior compartment to provide spaces, generally designated 50, for the passage of the fluent material 38. Furthermore, particularly for the initial motions of the doll, as described hereinafter, the front-lower edge 52 of the plate 42 is spaced by means of a tongue portion 54 from the adjacent interior wall of the reduced cross-sectional portion 36a of the interior body compartment 36 to provide for initial flow of the fluent granular material from the body compartment 36 to the hollow head shell 20.

For check valve purposes, the length of the plate 42 from the hinged edge 44 thereof to the edge of the tongue portion 54 is greater than the corresponding width of the reduced cross-sectional portion 36a of the interior body compartment 36' so that the plate is canted when in the position shown in FIG. 3 so that the weight of the fluent material 38 seats the plate in position. When the doll is placed in an erect position as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2, the weight of the fluent material simply pivots the plate 42 about its hinged edge 44 to permit the fluent material to pass substantially unrestricted from the hollow head shell 20 back to the interior body compartment 36.

The leg portions 16 of the doll are fabricated similarly to the body portion 12 thereof in that they include an interior self-supporting material 56, such as foam rubber or the like, covered by an outer flexible covering material 58. Preferably, enlarged foot portions 60 (FIG. 3) are provided for stabilization purposes. The leg portions 16 are somewhat freely pivoted to the base of the body portion 12, as by means of stitching 62 (FIG. 3) or the like between the covering material 58 of the legs and the covering material 32 of the body portion.

The arm portions 18 of the doll are formed by rigid frame strips 64 enclosed within an outer flexible covering 66 which extends somewhat loosely along the length of the frame strips. The frame strips 64 are pivoted to outwardly protruding pin portions 68 of a cross frame brace 70. The brace 70 extends generally across the shoulder area of the doll and is secured to the front of the interior body compartment 36. The opposite ends of the frame strips 64 of the arm portions 18 protrude through the outer coverings 66 and have stabilizing simulated hand portions 72 formed integral with or rigidly on the outer ends of the frame strips 64. Thus, it can be seen that the arm portions 18 are pivotable relative to the dolls body portion 12 in a normal fore and aft direction.

The arm portions 18 are made shorter than the leg portions 16, for purposes described hereinafter.

In using the animated doll of the present invention, to effect the aforesaid tumbling actions, the doll first is grasped and oriented in an erect position as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2. By doing this, the fluent, granular material 38 will accumulate in the interior body compartment 36 and any material in the dolls head shell 20 will flow rapidly past the check valve plate 42. The doll then is placed in the position shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 3, with the ends of the leg and arm portions 16 and I8, respectively, (particularly the feet portions and hand portions 72 thereof) on a supporting surface, such as a floor or the like, so as to position the body portion 12 of the doll in an elevated position. With the arm portions 18 being shorter than the leg portions 16, the body portion 12 and its interior compartment 36 for the fluent material 38 will be oriented in a forwardlydownwardly inclined disposition. The fluent material 38 thus has a tendency to flow forwardly from the interior body compartment 36 into the head shell 20. However, the plate 42 now acts as a baffle means and inhibits the flow of the fluent granular material in the forward downward direction. The fluent material will pass slowly, initially beneath the lower edge 52 of the plate 42, through the reduced cross sectional portion 36a of the interior body compartment and into the head shell 20. This flow of the fluent material continues until the center of gravity of the doll shifts forwardly sufficiently to begin to lift the legs of the doll off of the floor, as shown in FIG. 1(c). The flow of the material 38 continues past the baffle plate 42, including through the metering aperture 46, until the dolls body portion 12 attains a generally full upside-down disposition, as shown in FIG. 1(d). At this point in time, the entire weight of the doll will shift over onto the boss portion 28 at the top of the dolls head and instantaneously lift the dolls arms off of the floor and, with the boss portion 28 disposed forwardly of the pivot pins 68 when the doll is in its upside-down position, will cause the doll to flip over as shown in FIG. 1(e) and tumble to a flat position as shown in FIG. 1Q).

To facilitate the tumbling action as described above, the distance between the top of the dolls hollow head portion and the pivot connection between the arm portions and the body portion is longer than the arm portions themselves so that the doll actually tumbles forwardly onto the dolls head portion, slightly lifting the arm portions off of the supporting surface, as the doll tumbles over.

It will be understood that the increments of time between the various positions shown in FIGS. 1(b) through 1(a) will be governed by the operative effect of the baffle plate 42, particularly the size of the spaces between its edges and the adjacent walls of the reduced cross sectional compartment portion 36a as well as the size of its metering aperture 46. For instance, if it is desired to have the doll move slowly from the positions shown in FIG. 1(b) through FIG. 1(d), a slow passage of the fluent material around the edges of the plate should be effected before rapid passage of the material through the aperture 46. Various modifications of the size and shape of the baffle plate and the aforesaid edges and the aperture 46 are within the contemplation of the present invention.

We claim:

1. An animated doll comprising:

an elongate body including a generally hollow torso and a generally hollow head formed thereon, the interior of said torso defining a first compartment and the interior of said head defining a second compartment, said body also including passage means allowing for fluid communication between said compartments;

a pair of supporting arms rotatably mounted on said body generally between said head and torso, said arms being vertically positionable on a supporting surface for rotatably supporting the body thereover, the rotatable connection between said arms and said body defining a fulcrum about which said body is rotatable when said arms assume said vertical position;

a pair of supporting legs longer than said arms mounted on said torso and being vertically positionable on a supporting surface for supporting the body thereover, said body assuming a first elevated position when said arms and legs are in their vertical positions and the front of the body is facing downwardly so that said first compartment is higher than said second compartment;

fluent material confined for movement between said compartments with substantially all of said fluent material being positionable in said first compartment when said body is in said first position so that said fluent material can flow from said first compartment to said second compartment through said passage means by the influence of gravity ultimately causing said body to rotate head first about the fulcrum due to the weight of the fluent material that has flowed into, the second compartment whereby the doll tumbles forwardly and the body assumes a second generally horizontal position with the front of the body facing upwardly; and

a check valve associated with said passage means for inhibiting the flow of fluent material from the first compartment to the second compartment to slow the movement of the body from its first position to its second position, said check valve permitting substantially unrestricted flow of the fluent material back from the second compartment to the first compartment to facilitate rapid conditioning of the doll for repetitive operation.

2. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein said fluent material comprises sand. 

1. An animated doll comprising: an elongate body including a generally hollow torso and a generally hollow head formed thereon, the interior of said torso defining a first compartment and the interior of said head defining a second compartment, said body also including passage means allowing for fluid communication between said compartments; a pair of supporting arms rotatably mounted on said body generally between said head and torso, said arms being vertically positionable on a supporting surface for rotatably supporting the body thereover, the rotatable connection between said arms and said body defining a fulcrum about which said body is rotatable when said arms assume said vertical position; a pair of supporting legs longer than said arms mounted on said torso and being vertIcally positionable on a supporting surface for supporting the body thereover, said body assuming a first elevated position when said arms and legs are in their vertical positions and the front of the body is facing downwardly so that said first compartment is higher than said second compartment; fluent material confined for movement between said compartments with substantially all of said fluent material being positionable in said first compartment when said body is in said first position so that said fluent material can flow from said first compartment to said second compartment through said passage means by the influence of gravity ultimately causing said body to rotate head first about the fulcrum due to the weight of the fluent material that has flowed into the second compartment whereby the doll tumbles forwardly and the body assumes a second generally horizontal position with the front of the body facing upwardly; and a check valve associated with said passage means for inhibiting the flow of fluent material from the first compartment to the second compartment to slow the movement of the body from its first position to its second position, said check valve permitting substantially unrestricted flow of the fluent material back from the second compartment to the first compartment to facilitate rapid conditioning of the doll for repetitive operation.
 2. The animated doll of claim 1 wherein said fluent material comprises sand. 